After Monster Hunter Rise, the next game in the series would be wise not to reveal too many of its secrets too soon. The Monster Hunter series specializes in developing creative ideas for its monsters, as well as the equipment that can be crafted from their parts, and Monster Hunter Rise continues that proud tradition. Although the gameplay loop is familiar, with players hunting or catching various threatening monsters, there is always something new or exciting waiting to be explored or discovered. Promotional material should respect that.
The Monster Hunter games are some of Capcom's biggest adventures, and Monster Hunter Rise offers an impressive world that faithfully continues this tradition. It gives the player several locations to explore, populated with bizarre and powerful monsters to fight, and just like past games slaying or capturing monsters rewards the player with parts that can be used to craft improved weapons and armor. This system leads to the Monster Hunter games being wildly customizable, with the player's list of gear growing as they keep going on successful hunts. That combined with the exciting combat makes Monster Hunter a reliable source of fun.
Monster Hunter Games Should Let Players Discover Monsters On Their Own
Previews need to reveal just enough information to draw a player's attention, so not revealing many features for upcoming Monster Hunter games is common sense. However, Monster Hunter is a series where a lot of things need to be kept under wraps before release for different reasons. While most games want to keep their plots secret, Monster Hunter benefits more from keeping its monster roster largely hidden until release. The monsters are the most prominent part of the game, so they shouldn't be spoiled too early.
In addition to the simple reason of making sure there's something new to see in the game, Monster Hunter should avoid giving too much away as a gameplay benefit. Monster Hunter games are long, and they're all about exploring during expeditions. Discovering new things is as important as fighting the monsters, and if the monsters are already known before the game comes out, the thrill of seeing something unique roaming the land would be gone. A big part of what makes Monster Hunter interesting is when a new monster makes its debut and the player has to prepare for them.
Of course, Monster Hunter advertisements still need to show enough to get players invested. A good way to do this would be using footage that features series mainstays such as Monster Hunter's iconic flying beast Rathalos and the brutish Diablos. Not only would fans expect them to be in the game, but they have striking designs that would be enticing to new players. When it comes to new monsters, only a couple should be shown off to assure players that the game won't just recycle old content, with the entry's flagship monster taking center stage.
Once the successor to Monster Hunter Rise is prepared for release, promotional materials will need to show restraint. Monster Hunter has shown the ability to do this successfully, such as with Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak's followers being spotlighted in previews. This approach gives players a hint of what to expect while still leaving the bulk of the game a mystery. When the next game comes around, it needs to repeat the cycle by showing off the action rather than lavishing attention on new monsters.
Monster Hunter Rise is currently available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
